How To Fix 'Gcc' Failed With Exit Status 1 On CentOS?

Published August 12, 2024

Problem: 'Gcc' Failed With Exit Status 1 On CentOS

The 'gcc' (GNU Compiler Collection) error with exit status 1 on CentOS can stop software compilation and installation processes. This error often occurs due to missing dependencies, incorrect file permissions, or incompatible software versions.

Step-by-Step Solution to Fix 'Gcc' Failed Error

Update Your CentOS System

Update your CentOS system before troubleshooting. This step helps fix software conflicts and gives you the latest package versions. Run these commands:

sudo yum check-update
sudo yum update

Tip: Check Available Updates

Before running a full system update, you can check available updates using:

sudo yum list updates

This command lists all packages that have updates available, allowing you to review changes before applying them.

Install Development Tools

Install the packages needed to compile software. Use this command:

sudo yum groupinstall "Development Tools"

This installs packages like gcc, make, and other build tools.

Install Python Development Headers

Python development headers are needed to compile Python extensions. Install them with:

sudo yum install python-devel

For Python 3, use:

sudo yum install python3-devel

Install Dependencies

Install common dependencies for Python packages:

sudo yum install libxslt-devel libffi-devel openssl-devel

These libraries support XML processing, foreign function interfaces, and secure communications.

Retry Package Installation

After installing the dependencies, try installing the package again:

pip install lxml

If the error continues, check the error message for missing dependencies. Install any other required packages and try again.

Alternative Solutions

Using a Virtual Environment

Virtual environments create isolated spaces for Python projects. They help avoid conflicts between package versions and let you install packages without affecting your system-wide Python installation.

To set up and use a virtual environment:

  1. Install the virtualenv package:

    pip install virtualenv
  2. Create a new virtual environment:

    virtualenv myenv
  3. Activate the virtual environment:

    source myenv/bin/activate
  4. Install your packages within the virtual environment:

    pip install lxml
  5. When done, deactivate the virtual environment:

    deactivate

Managing Multiple Projects

Use different virtual environments for different projects to keep dependencies separate. This practice helps maintain clean and reproducible development environments for each project.

Compiling from Source

Compiling from source is useful when pre-built packages are not available or when you need a specific package version.

To compile a package from source:

  1. Download the source code from the official repository.

  2. Extract the source code:

    tar -xzvf package-name.tar.gz
  3. Go to the extracted directory:

    cd package-name
  4. Configure the build:

    ./configure
  5. Compile the package:

    make
  6. Install the compiled package:

    sudo make install

Always check the package's documentation for specific compilation instructions, as steps may vary between packages.

Example: Compiling Python from Source

To compile Python 3.9.5 from source:

wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.9.5/Python-3.9.5.tgz
tar xzf Python-3.9.5.tgz
cd Python-3.9.5
./configure --enable-optimizations
make -j 8
sudo make altinstall

This process downloads Python 3.9.5, configures it with optimizations, compiles using 8 CPU cores, and installs it as an alternate version.